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NEWS CONFERENCE
GOVERNOR FARRIS BRYANT
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA
NOVEMBER 1, 1962
DRUFMFU PARTICIPATING: vernon Bradford, TAMPA TRIBUNE; Robert W.
I: user. ORLANDO SENTINEL-SIAR; James Gilliggy UNITED PRESS
nae mazes-u; Jerry Mock, JOHN a. ram P 85; Allen Morris,
CTKGKER POLITICS; Frank Pepper, HDTV; Stan Tarilton, FLORIDA
BRCaTJAST NEWS; Rick Tattle, MIAMI HERALD-ST. PBTERBEURO TIMES
r' I 33; Ray Starr, WEBB; Bill Watkins, HCTV; Paul Wills, ASSOCIATED
GOVERNOR: Good morning.
I am delighted to tell you that the response we have received
from the request that has been issued for civil defense assistance
has been far beyond anything that we anticipated. The County
Commissioners, the Sheriffs Association, and other groups have asked
to participate in any activities that we engage in on a state-wide
basis to further Civil Defense preparedness. And we have received
offers from the D.A.V., Jewish war Veterans, v.s.w. and a number of
fraternal orders offering the full cooperation of their groups. This
afternoon, shortly after lunch, I am going to Key West, in part for
a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce there at 8:00 o'clock, and
part for s visit to the military facilities at Boos Chico Base there
-- the Naval Station.
BRADFORD: Governor, have you set any time yet for the meeting of
mayors and county commissioners?
GOVERNOR: No, I will do that before I leave this morning. I
anticipate it will be sometime next week.
STARR: Would you like to give us a thumbnail sketch of your
Washington meetings?
GOVERNOR: It was a day of meetings beginning at 8:30 and concluding
about :30, I think, or 5 -- it's hard to put in a thumbnail. We
met first with Mr. Roswell Gilpetrick; then we were briefed on the
Cuban situation by John HoCOne, head of CIA, and with Mr. Steuart
Pittman, who was here the other day; at 11:30 we went over and met
with the President for half an hour; we returned for meetings of
discussing civil defense preparedness, storing surplus food and so
forth during which it took us about two hours to get a sandwich and
a cup of coffee. We noted the shortage of emergency rations around
there. Physically that was about the size of it.
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BRADFORD: Governor, do you have any idea yet from Colonel Tarkington
on costs -- money that will be needed for the emergency equipment?
GOVERNOR: No.
BRADFORD: That will be forthcomdng shortly?
GOVERNOR: Yes, it will.
DELANEY: tau don't have any information from Colonel Hiram Walker,
do you? (laughter)
oovsssos: It's too early in the morning to hear from him. (laughter)
HILLS: What will the state do in this civil defense preparedness?
will the Road Department crews, for instance, help put these signs
on the buildings? Is that part of your planning?
GOVERNOR: We have offered to do whatever is required. The responsi-
bility for identifying the shelters and putting up the signs is upon
the Corps of Engineers. However, up until Just the other day -
until last Saturday they were proceeding under instructions that
prohibited their putting up signs unless they could get a written
license to do so signed by the.building owner. That has been modified,
and now they are going to put it up on an oral basis. Frequently
someone doesn't want to sign a form, but if you ask-him if you can
put a sign up, and he can tear it down if it becomes a problem to
him, this is a little bit easier to accomplish. We have offered to
put up the signs for them, to assist them in getting permission, or
whatever they tell us is reqnired to be done. So far we have not
heard from them on that matter. It may be that with this modification
on their own instructions, they won't need our help. The Road
Department crews are prepared to do this.
GILLESPY: Specifically, how do you anticipate the use of this
operational headquarters for the Civil Defense?
GOVERNOR: That heedQuarters will be manned at run complement with
about 60 people. It envisions, of course, some sort of involvement
or an unknown nature or the whole-state. It will not only begin the
problem of seeing that feeds and medical supplies and emergency teams
reach the areas of critical needs from time to time as they develop;
collecting information for the doing of this; disseminating the
information which is necessary for morale and so forth, to the local
groups; but, also, to the beginning of the Job of survival and
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reconstruction: is rationing necessary? Somebody has got to make
the decisions. In order to make a decision you have got to have
enough data you have got to know what the supplies or food in the
pipeline are that is the distribution pipeline you have got to
know whether or not the 35 hospital facilities are being utilized.
Have doctors gone in with the authority and instructions to use
them? Thereis a tremendous amount of data that must be accumulated
under emergency conditiOns and decisions made at headquarters as to
what to do. I can see that one or the big problems in the ease of a
real nuclear war is that peepla in each community will be more or
less isolated. They won't know and they won't be able to pick up
your wonderful news stories, and inform themselves radio communi-
cations will be severely limited, if not entirely limited -
commercial broadcasts entirely eliminated and, therefore, I think
it is important that lines or communication be established so that
the mayor or "X" town feels that he is in contact with the chain of
command and that things are being handled in the neighboring town
and help is on the way, and that we are not being invaded from Cedar
Key, as the rumor will be, or what have you.
OILLESPY: As I understand it, Civil Defense Headquarters from St.
Augustine would then be moved over here during the time or
emergency?
GOVERNOR: Yes. it is supposed to be moved over here anyway. It
ought to be over here.
GILLESPY: In other words this is going to atay an active headquarters
-- this isn't a room that is looked up except in an emergency. Are
you.going to have a permanent staff over here?
GOVERNOR: I might have spoken too fast. Tallahassee was not
designated as this headquarters until it was removed from the prime
target list. Once that was done all the facilities or the govern-
ment being centered here, the decision was made to move that Civil
Defense emergency headquarters here. Now, I spoke too fast on it --
permanent headquarters. I don't know the answer to that question.
You see in the Civil Defense Program there is not only the civil
defense forces per se, but there is the Game and Fresh tater Fish
Commission, the Beverage Commission. all law enforcement groups that
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are under the command now -~ the states authorities.
DELAREY: Governor, who has been responsible for designating these
shelters and putting the figure on how many people they would
accommodate?
GOVERNOR: The Corps of Engineers. After the meeting or the Civil
Defense Committee of the Governors in Washington. some months ago.
I forget when, a program was evolved -- as a matter of fast it was
firmed up at that time under which training would be given to
architects in each state in the recognition at the protection factors
in buildings. And this was done here in Florida. You may recall
that courses were held for the training or these men. and then they
sent out under the auspices of the Corps of Engineers to identity
the buildings. and then the Corps takes the responsibility of seeing
that these buildings are properly marked.
DELANEY: Are you familiar with the physical structure or the Cherry
Plaza hotel and the San Juan hotel in Orlando?
GOVERNOR: To some degree.
DELANEY: I was wondering if you were aware of the feet that they
had designated the Cherry Plaza as being a place that could
accommodate some 3000 people. and the San Juan, I think. 2000?
GOVERNOR: No. I am not.
DELANBY: I have been trying to puzzle this one out, and wondering
if you had any idea why this would be?
GOVERNOR: I imagine they will put then on the elevators in one or
these hotels. They'd be safe from anything there.
DELANEI: The manager or the cherry Plaza pointed out that he
couldn't see how they could possibly get that many people in his
hotel, let alone do anything for them.
GOVERNOR: Hell. I as sure that I don't know.
BRADFORD: Governor. you mentioned prime target areas. how many
prime target areas are there in Florida, do you know?
OOVEHROR: I saw this, but I don't recall to what degree it was
classified and I think it would probably be best that. lacking that
memory. I not say.
NORRIS : Governor. what is your guess as to the results or this
crisis on the Florida tourist economy?
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CCVERNOR: It all depends. If these missiles are moved out. I don't
think there will be anything harmful. except of a very temporary
nature. If the missiles are not moved out and we are forced to take
military action, well. of course, I haven't the remotest idea what
will happen.
MORRIS: If the missiles are moved out, then Florida would be in
the same boat as any other state?
GOVERNOR: Exactly. I think we could expect the wonderful tourist
season that we have been anticipating. I am not too encouraged
about their being moved out right this morning. I would certainly
hope that the people of Florida will not slow up on these civil
defense preparations.
TUTTLE: Have you received any communication from Washington since
the resumption of the blockade?
GOVERNOR: No.
STARR: Governor, at a local civil defense meeting held here in
Tallahassee. it was pointed out that the Capital City was as good
as most, and better than some, as far as civil defense preparedness
went. would you like to draw a parallel between the State of Florida
and the other states as far as state civil defense preparedness goes?
GOVERNOR: Of course I have not visited the other states. Steuart
Pittman, the secretary of Defense for Civil Defense, told us not once,
but many times. that Florida is either the best or one of the top
two or three in the Nation in preparedness. He have been, as you
know. making fairly significant efforts on this for a long time. It
is difficult when it is not raining to work on the roof, but Colonel
Tarkington has done an excellent Job.
STARR: Well, if the missiles are taken down, will this slow down
our civil defense program at all?
GOVERNOR: I hope not. It certainly will not as far as the state
government is concerned. we want to get in a position to be ready
for anything that happens.
PEPPER: Governor Bryant, have you made, or do you anticipate making
in the near future, any special recommendations for the lower
Southeast Coast due primarily to their proximity to the situation?
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GOVERNOR: Well, of course, the lower Southeast Ooeet in a way is
more favorably situated than any other part of the state, because it
has been stated a couple or times in the paper that the minimum range
of these missiles that we might expect trouble from is about 325
miles. And that, therefore, exempts Miami and Fort Lauderdale and
makes that one of the safest places in the United States. That is
about the only place in the United States that you can't reach with
a missile from Cuba.
HILLS: what about those bombers rom Cuba? They can reach it very
easily?
GOVERNOR: Of course they can.
HILLS: More easily than any other place in the country.
GOVERNOR: or course they can. I would hope, however, and expect
that the conventional methods or carrying missiles is pretty good
and that we would be able to shoot out or the air bombers and so
forth. For instance we learned over Formosa that the Nationalist
Chinese fighters armed with, I think it was the Hound Dog wasn't it
- they would Just wipe out the Red Chinese fighter planes. I think
you could do that on a better basis here.
PEPPER: Governor Bryant, have you been asked by any or these Cuban
exiled groups in Florida for any state help?
GOVERNOR: No. You mean to tight Cuba?
PEPPER: Whatever they may need in money and training.
GOVERNOR: No, we have not. (Aside to John Evans: That is correct
isn't it? we haven't been asked for military assistance of any kind)?
EVANS: It has been suggested to us since your statement on the
possibility of a Home Guard that some or the refugees would make a
dandy home guard in Florida and at the same time further their
training for a possible return.
GOVERNOR: No, I didn't know that before so I will modify my answer
to that extent.
STARR: Governor, your tour this afternoon, is that at the request or
anyone in Southern Florida or is this at your own?
GOVERNOR: Ry can request.
TUTTLE: To change the subject, it we can: Are you going to get
into this dispute between Harold Cole. and some or the others about
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whether or not Florida is headed toward a land scandal?
GOVERNOR: Well, when I read those papers coming out of New York, I
seemed, probably without justification, that an election was coming
up in November, and the Attorney General probably doesn't get many
votes in Florida anyway and couldn't lose many by what he said. Of
course, Florida land is sought after more than the land of any other
state in the nation. And, of course, whenever you have large-scale
operations, such as we do, there are going to be individuals and
instances that are not on the highest level. But I have confidence
that Florida is doing more than any other state in the nation in
the protection of those who buy land in this state. At the National
conference on Interstate Sales in California the Florida law relative
to this came up in some instances as a model law. There, in that
responsible body, no finger was pointed at us, except that because so
many people want to come to Florida, of course, and to buy land here.
You don't have the problem let's say in New York, because there is
no great flood of land buyers to New York that I have heard anything
about lately. Florida has been a leader in meeting this problem. We
are still working on it. Some months ago I had a member of my staff --
as a matter of fact even before inauguration I began meeting with
some committees relative to this matter and the development of a
program. we couldn't get an aggressive program going before the '61
session and since that session I have had a member of my staff working
on the whole problem with the Bar Association and the Real Estate
Commission and very shortly now arrangements will be completed to
establish what I hope will be a permanent Governor's Committee on
Interstate Land Sales that will keep a surveillance of this changing
problem and be sure that we are, and continue, in the forefront of
efforts to see to it that people who invest in Florida can continue
to do so with confidence. This staff work has been going on and I
hepe within a very short time to be able to appoint the committee
itself.
BRADFORD: Is any legislation indicated?
GOVERNOR: That will depend on the recommendations of this committee.
I want to say that the Real Estate Commission, of course, is
continuously studying this problem. And we, of course, are keenly
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conscious or the necessity for preserving their reputation for
integrity. Since this publicity I have been inquiring or reeltors as
I travel about the state, asking what their experience has been in
this regard. And they tell me: Hell. we hear that these bad things
are going on, but -" one of them. for instance, in my own town or
Duels said: "These people would come through and they would any.
'whet about these lend promotions that I paid so much down on and
have got to add so much to complete?' "And this reeltor said: I
told them. I don't know the answers, but I wish they would stop by
on their way back and tell me what they tound.'" And this realtor
said that in every instance where they came back by the report was
that they were pleased with what they had done. I noticed on the
worn? program not long ago some formerly active radio commentator
seemed highly pleased with his participation in one of these large-
scslc land developnento. There is a problem. Where we have such a
deoireble product, and there is money to be made, there will continue
to be problems. I think in proportion to the volume or land sales
it is a email problem. And I think, also, that we'll continue to
set sggressively and keep Florida in the forefront of those
protecting people who would come and live in the state.
DELANEY: This election you spoke of that night be coming up. are you
thinking about voting in it?
GOVERNOR: I already have.
DELANEY: Did you vote absentee?
GOVERNOR: Yes. I didn't know what the situation would be relative to
Cuba, and where I would be on November 6 and I wanted to get my vote
counted. So I have voted already.
STARR: Governor, Seoretsry or State Ton Adams predicts that this will
be the greatest turnout in Florida for en err-year election. no you
eoho these sentiments?
GOVERNOR: I agree with any predictions that anybody ever made that
what is happening today is bigger than what happened yesterday in
Florida. Florida grows. (laughter) I'm for it.
TETLE: would you like to make a final prediction on the respportion-
went snendment?
GOVERNOR: Yes. It will pass.
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STARR: Governor. you and our Junior Senator had quite an animated
conversation the other day at the barbeque. ould you care to fill
us in on what an: discussed?
GOVERNOR: Probably the LSU football game. (laughter) I don't renal
Or the Cuban situation. That's the only thing I remember. Ray.
DELANEY: Are you familiar with any polls that are being taken by
the State Democratic Committee around the state?
GOVERNOR: I didn't know any were being taken. I knew that one was
taken earlier, what was it. a month or so ago. I ran familiar with
that and got some informal reports on results at that time. They
were all good.
DELANEY: Did that surprise you?
GOVERNOR: It pleased me.
DELANEY: But it didn't aurpriae you?
GOVERNOR: No, air.
TUTTLE: Thank you. Governor.
GOVEROR: Thank you, gentlemen.
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